Hello, everyone.
I installed GrapheneOS a week ago, and decided to only use the Owner profile without Sandboxed Google Play Services.
Yesterday, I ran into some situation where I had to install Google Camera. So I created a secondary user profile and installed Google Services Framework from Apps.
Out of habit, I disabled Network permissions for GCam and GSF in the apps settings, and then I noticed GmsCompatConfig (I didn't see it before installing GSF) but it didn't have Network permissions enabled so I simply ignored it as I thought it was included with the GSF installation for it to work.
Having decided the secondary profile was temporary, I deleted it a few hours later.
Today, I noticed GmsCompatConfig is still present in the apps while I'm using the Owner profile. I searched 'Gms' in the settings and also saw an app named GmsCompat with Location permissions enabled by default.
I would like to know what do these apps do and how they ended up in the Owner profile without Google Services Framework installed.

Thanks.

alicia-avery changed the title to GmsCompatConfig and GmsCompat .

Before deleting the secondary user profile, I also uninstalled Google Services Framework through the Graphene app repository client (Apps)

    mythodical Thanks! Did these apps exist already before GSF was installed? And do you think it's safe to disable the Location permission for GmsCompat?

      alicia-avery for what it's worth, both Google Camera and GSF can function normally without any network permission granted to them. Personally, GSF is the only Google component I choose to install, as some other (non-Google) apps that I use appear to rely on it as well.

      alicia-avery yes, the GmsCompat apps are built into GrapheneOS and visible in the GOS app store (Apps in your launcher's app drawer).

      I can't say for sure about disabling location permission in the app specifically, as I never have location services enabled globally.

        mythodical Ah. Must have not noticed it before. Thanks.
        I also never have Location permissions enabled as well. I just checked the Permission Manager, tapped on 'Show system [apps]' and found GmsCompat along with three other system apps having location allowed all the time. This concerns me a bit, but I believe it's better to be cautious with playing around with system app permissions. I think I'll leave this enabled until somebody can confirm.

        Hi there! GmsCompat and GmsCompatConfig are not Google apps. It's just the compatibility layer that makes the Google apps work within the standard sandbox.

        Please do not touch any of their permissions. It's perfectly fine for these apps to be installed.

        In general, for system apps and apps that come with the phone (think Phone, Messaging etc.), I would implore you not to touch their permissions at all, as you may break things that will be very difficult for us to figure out without knowing exactly what you're altered.

        It's not a security or privacy issue to leave them as they are.

          2 months later